Only You
by ayushi
Summary: [Pokeshipping Week] "It won't feel like an adventure unless I start it with you by my side."
1. Day 1

**A/N:** This is like my dumping ground for the pokeshipping week ficlets.

So this is a side story of my other fic, Our Brave New World. So the background is that the Pokémon World has been completely turned over by a few strong ideologists who think very low of Pokémon. Trainers are being hunted down, owning Pokémon is illegal and all in all everything is just dark and scary. You don't have to read the other fic to understand this really, it's just basic stuff.

**Disclaimer: ** (for the whole fic) Don't own Pokémon.

Day 1 – Adventure

"How do you do it?"

Her voice was raspy and low and she wondered if he heard her question because she certainly couldn't. To her this shaky whisper didn't feel like her own. Her whole body in fact, didn't feel like her own. It ached everywhere and she had no control over it anymore. It was because of her that they were resting in a forest nearby when they should have been running as far from the prison as possible. The guards must know by now that there were two of them missing. How couldn't they, her brave rescuer created such a show after all. The trees seemed so familiar but she couldn't bring herself to remember which forest it was and she didn't have the heart to ask the other two. The emptiness of the forest surrounded her so well, begging to be touched by her. She was trying hard to control herself from getting lost in the void, from letting it all go. There was no meaning in anything anymore, why should she hold on when it was best to just give up?

"Do what?" His reply was quiet but she heard it, his voice was still just as innocent and his smile made her hold on for just a little longer. How does he do it? _How?_

"_Smile._" She was afraid she said it too loudly. The other crybaby (who claimed his name was Ethan but honestly Misty didn't want to believe a word he said) they had accidently rescued glared at her. Ash cringed slightly since he was sitting right next her and to her surprise he shifted even closer.

"I don't understand what you're asking." He said quietly, all the while the smile never left his face. His bruised, scarred face. What happened to him in the past two years? She was safe inside that prison. It was lonely and dark and traumatizing but it was safe. And he had been out there, doing Mew knows what and he was still smiling. _Why?_

"How can you smile like that when our whole word is falling apart? How can you smile like that when my Pokémon are dead, our friends are gone and we are losing everything we ever believed in? Why are you smiling Ash? Why?" She didn't realize that she was sobbing. It was embarrassing to cry in front of that other little kid but she couldn't help it. Her head was hurting, her whole body was hurting, she didn't know where she was going or what she was gonna do, Ash had just gotten her out of the prison and surprisingly he still had Pikachu with him and seeing them together reminded her of her own Pokémon who were dead. It was all too much.

She felt his fingers on her cheek and waited till he wiped her tears off to open her eyes. She turned to look at him and this time, his smile didn't frustrate her, it calmed her.

"It's difficult." He said, "It's difficult knowing that they might take Pikachu away from me any moment. It's difficult because I don't have any of my friends by my side and I don't know where they are. It took me so long to track you down, Mist. I haven't even started looking for the others ya'know? And of course some of my Pokemon too were…" She could tell that he didn't want to finish that sentence, the pain was visible in his voice but his face was still taken up by that wide smile, "But you just have to move on. If I sit around thinking about what I've lost, I'll never be able to move forward. You've been in that prison for so long Misty that all you've done is think about what has happened and I don't blame you for thinking about giving up. I really don't because I've thought about it too. But the thing is Mist that in the end, I'm alive. There are still millions and millions of things that could happen to me. There are still so many adventures that I could go on."

"But it's not the same!" She cried out. If they got caught now, it would entirely be her fault.

"Of course it isn't. And it never will be. But why should that hold us back?"

"Because people and Pokémon are _dying_ Ash!"

"Oh and sitting around and stating the obvious is going to help them?"

"You think you can save the world from those demons?"

"I saved you didn't I?"

She could feel Ethan watching them, his golden eyes shifting from one face to the other, waiting for them to continue. She scowled at him and he looked away immediately. It was just like them to end up arguing after spending only a few hours together. And she hated to admit it, but Ash had clearly won this time.

"Why did you come for me first?" She whispered haughtily, "And what makes you think I'm going to help you with whatever you're planning? I'd rather crawl into a dark hole and die."

"I came for you first because it won't feel like an adventure unless I start it with you by my side and you're too proud to actually crawl in a hole and die without trying to show the Kingdom what you're made of." He looked so smug, she wanted to punch that smirk off his face. She raised her fist but before it could connect with his already bruised face he added, "Also, not all of your Pokémon are dead."

Her hand dropped back to her side as she stared at him, "Are you trying to blackmail me Ash Ketchum?"

"Trying to? I already know I'm winning." He scoffed.

"Don't you for a second think that I'm going to forget what you said about not being able to start anything without me." It was her turn to smirk now. The blush that covered his cheeks lifted a great weight off her chest. He was right, so what if their world was no less than hell right now, they would make it better. _Together._ And that thought finally made her smile.

"Can you guys go back to fighting instead of flirting? It's kinda disgusting." Ethan murmured while observing his shoes. But Misty could see a hint of a smile forming on his face.

-x-

Reviews are always appreciated.


	2. Day 2

Day 2 – Stages of their Relationship

I

It started with a debt. A debt he promised to return and she didn't want fulfilled. For him it was something he needed to do to prove himself, to prove that he could keep his word. To her it was something that made her stay another day.

II

It turned into a presence. He realized how lonely he would've been on his journey without her. She realized that travelling with him made her happy, happier she had been when she was around her sisters.

III

It resulted in a friendship. He could laugh with her, fight with her, practise with her and talk to her about almost anything. She could share anything with him, she could ask him for help without feeling weak, and she helped him and supported him. He shared his dream with her and she did the same.

IV

It led to loneliness. When they were apart, the absence was strongly felt. She immersed herself in her work at the gym and her Pokémon, but every time the phone rang, every time the mail arrived, she would rush forward hoping it was him. He travelled far and made some amazing new friends but every month, he would make time for a phone call or a letter that didn't make him feel so lonely anymore.

-x-

**A/N:** I know it's kinda short but that's all I could come with for this prompt. Once again, reviews are always appreciated.


	3. Day 3

Day 3 – Thinking about each other

She hadn't truly understood the meaning of missing someone terribly until she felt it herself.

The fact that he was travelling miles away made the feeling even worse.

Lately, she had been overworking herself to keep her brain from getting lost in his thoughts. And it worked for a while. She trained with her Pokémon day and night. She worked around the house, cleaning and cooking and organising. She went for jogs in the morning, helped around the Pokémon center whenever she had free time. And mostly kicked some trainer butt at the gym. Ever since she'd taken over the reputation of the Cerulean City Gym had gone up. And she was very proud of herself. So proud that she missed the fact that all this hard work was taking a toll on her health.

And that's how she ended up in bed, with Daisy gushing over her because she fainted in the gym. So apparently all it took to catch her sister's attention was to faint. She decided to keep that in mind, it might come in use some day in the near future.

But being in bed with nothing to do also meant that there were various things or people she could think about. She sighed softly and closed her eyes, preparing to get lost in her train of thoughts and hoping that sleep would somehow find her.

She thought about the distance between them and how long it would take for her to close the gap. She thought about all the new Pokémon and people he must meet every day and how he would've befriended them. She thought about Pikachu and his cap. She thought about the determination in his eyes and his smile. His smile that radiated warmth, that made her feel content. And before she knew it, she was already asleep with a silly grin plastered on her face and she didn't wake until the next morning.

-x-

He was always surrounded by friends but at times he felt like he was missing something. He was too naïve to understand concepts like love but he did understand that what he felt for her was something very different from what he felt for his other friends. He wanted to support her in every decision she made, even if it meant staying away from her. He wanted her to be happy, he wanted to see her smile. And to him the distance between them was nothing but a small bridge that he could cross anytime he wanted. But there were things he needed to do first and he wanted her to see what he was capable of. He knew it would take time for him to accomplish what he had set out and he knew that it might take him far away from her but that didn't mean that he would forget about her. He promised himself that he would think about her every day and every night as long as he is alive.

-x-

**A/N:** It's short but that's all I could think about with this prompt. I'm only good with Au-ish stuff for Ash/Misty. Guess that doesn't say much about my writing skills, or lack thereof. Anyhoo, reviews are always appreciated!


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